1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus in which a recording head used in a facsimile apparatus or the like is moved up and down so as to be brought into contact with recording paper only during recording.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The receiver side of a facsimile apparatus has a recording apparatus, and a facsimile apparatus called the semimulti type is known in which a head provided with a plurality of recording elements arranged in the minor scanning direction and a reading element are mounted on a carriage and recording and reading are effected with the carriage moved in the major scanning direction.
This semimulti type facsimile apparatus, as compared with a full multi type facsimile apparatus, has been widely adopted because the reading element and the recording elements can be constructed inexpensively.
The recording portion of the conventional facsimile apparatus of this type has been constructed as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
In FIG. 1, rolled recording paper 1 is held by a cradle 2 and directed while being in contact with rollers 3 and 4 for conveying the recording paper 1 in the minor scanning direction. The rollers 3 and 4 are rotated by a drive source, not shown. Pressure rollers 6 and 7 are in contact with the side surfaces of the rollers 3 and 4 and press the recording paper 1 between the rollers 3 and 4. The roller 7 is supported by a lever 9 rotatable about a pin 8 through the intermediary of a shaft 10, and is urged against the roller 4 by a spring 9a extended between the lever 9 and a side wall 11.
A carriage designated by reference numeral 14 is slidably fitted on guide shafts 12 and 13 and movable between side walls 11 and 15.
Designated by 16 is a major scanning motor, the rotation of which is transmitted to a belt 19 passed over a pulley 17 fixed to the output shaft of the motor and a pulley 18 rotatably supported on the frame side of the apparatus and is further transmitted to the carriage 14 fixed to the belt 19 through an arm 14a. A reading lens 14b and its accessary reading element, not shown, are provided on the upper surface of the carriage 14.
Further, a pivotable lever 21 is rotatably supported on the carriage 14 by means of a pin 21a, and a head 20 (recording element) is mounted on the outer side surface of the upper end portion of the pivotable arm 21 and a roller 5 is rotatably journalled to the end of the shaft portion 20a of the lower end of the pivotable arm. A spring 23 is resiliently disposed between the pivotable arm 21 and the carriage 14 and normally biases the pivotable arm 21 in the head-down direction. A platen 22 is mounted at a location corresponding to the head 20.
Designated by 24 is a head cocking member rotatably journalled between the side walls 11 and 15 through a pin 25. The head cocking member 24 is biased for counter-clockwise rotation, as viewed in FIG. 1, by a spring 27 extended between a pin 24a provided at one end of the head cocking member and a pin 26 provided on the side wall 15, and except during the head-up, it assumes a position in which it does not interfere with the roller 5.
The arm 24b of the head cocking member 24 which is projectedly provided on the opposite side to the pin 24a is connected to the actuator 29 of a solenoid 28 fixed to the side wall 15 and, when the solenoid 28 is energized, the actuator 29 is attracted and the head cocking member 24 is clockwisely pivoted against the force of the spring 27, so that the pivotable arm 21 is pivoted counter-clockwise through the roller 5 to provide a head-up position.
Under the structure as described above, the carriage 14 lies at a home position near the side wall 11 when recording is started. In this position, the supply of power to the solenoid 28 is cut off and therefore, the head cocking member 24 is at its extreme of counter-clockwise position and the pivotable arm 21 is pivoted clockwise, and the head 20 is in a head-down position wherein it is urged against a platen 22 with the recording paper 1 interposed therebetween.
When, in this position, the major scanning motor 16 is rotated clockwise, the carriage 14 is moved toward the side wall 15 through the agency of the belt 19. Therefore, the head 20 effects recording on the recording paper 1 in accordance with an image signal during the movement of the carriage.
When a predetermined stroke of the recording operation is terminated, the solenoid 28 is energized to pivot the head cocking member 24 clockwise, so that the pivotable arm 21 is counter-clockwise pivoted through the agency of the roller 5 and the head 20 assumes a head-up position in which it is separated from the recording paper 1. At the same time, the major scanning motor 16 is rotated counterclockwise, so that the carriage 14 returns toward the side wall 11 and stops at its initial start position. During the return movement of the carriage 14, the solenoid 28 remains energized and the head 20 keeps its head-up position.
What has been described above is the operation in the recording mode. In the case of the reading mode, it is necessary that the solenoid 28 continue to be supplied with power so as to normally provide the head-up position.
However, adoption of the above-described structure leads to the following disadvantages.
(1) A powerful solenoid is necessary to effect the head-up position.
(2) A drive circuit for driving the solenoid and a power source are necessary and particularly, power consumption of the solenoid is great as compared with the driving power for other electric circuits and accordingly, the use of the solenoid results in increased volume and capacity of the power source portion, which in turn results in higher cost and bulkiness of the apparatus.
(3) A complex mechanism for separating the head from the recording paper in response to the operation of the actuator of the solenoid is required and this leads to higher cost. That is, in the conventional recording apparatus of the described type, the head-down position is effected only during recording to bring the head into contact with the recording paper, and the head-up position is effected during the carriage return and during the reading operation. A solenoid or the like has been employed as the drive source for effecting such head-down position or head-up and therefore, power must be continued during the time the head is kept in one of the head-up and the head-down position, and this means waste of power. Of course, when the head is changed from the head-up position to the head-down position or from the head-down position to the head-up position, power is also necessary and this means the necessity of much power consumption.
Also, it is necessary to provide the solenoid, etc. on the apparatus body side and this leads to corresponding complication of the apparatus.